In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of nectarine, peach, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of plum tree, which has been denominated varietally as "Purple Majesty". The present variety was hybridized by us in 1982, and the resulting seedling was planted in a cultivated area of our experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). Specifically, the hybridized seedling was originated by using Red Beaut (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,539) as the selected seed parent and an unnamed seedling as the selected pollen parent. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of plum tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects.
The present variety produces fruit that matures at nearly the same time as Santa Rosa, unpatented, but is distinguished from that variety by being self-sterile instead of self-fertile and by producing fruit that is larger in size, firmer in texture, axially compressed in shape, and darker in skin color at shipping ripeness.
The present variety is similar to its selected seed parent, Red Beaut (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,539), by being self-sterile and by producing fruit that is smooth in surface appearance and very firm in texture, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that ripens twenty-one days later, that is very dark reddish purple in skin color instead of red, that is much larger in size, and that is much sweeter in flavor.